A meal together really does build connections stronger. It is believed that workmates sharing the same meal every once in a while could boost their productivity and morale. Taking a pause from a long stressful day at work could create new outsets where it could improve each individual’s wellness, engagement, and interest in work.
Last February 21, 2023, Team Commude Philippines decided to have a walking trip, enjoying the humid breeze of the city and conversations along the way to Kenshin Makati Square, where we had our company dinner to welcome new interns and other newly hired employees.
We ate a variety of food and numerous glasses of drinks were celebrated while sharing the moment together, exchanging work experiences, and situations, checking up on each others’ progress, and sharing one wonderful meal with each other. Some are still stuck in their devices, something that I wish I could change, but, regardless, each still managed to hold smiles on their face. We, interns, introduced ourselves to some of the members of Commude Philippines, and the other newly hired employee shared interesting stories with the youngsters of the company. Even the Chairman of the company didn’t hold his back on the event, he encouraged members to have more drinks with him to celebrate the festivity, and even encouraged the Japanese members of the company to try a Filipino food with him, Balut.
The star of the night was the Takoyaki grill ordered by one of my workmates. We took turns customizing our own piece while doing our best on making the roundest one among the rest. Each of our laughter is enough evidence to say that the dinner was simply magical. No octopus, corn, bonito flakes, nor ginger can overwhelm the oozing enjoyment that we experienced throughout the night. It is really true that a meal shared by people can connect them from within, our hearts.
What makes a takoyaki special among other dishes? Every piece and every bite of Takoyaki holds varieties of flavors resulting in a burst of extraordinary tang, and the same does apply to our team Commude Philippines. We may vary, but our diversity makes us special. We differ in our nationality, gender, skills, talents, interests, and personalities but our contrasts make us the perfect team that makes Commude Philippines exceptional among others. Our small differences make us huge. We indeed are the ideal ingredients for the perfect team in the market. We certainly are amazing.
Having meals together not only promotes building connections with the members of a family or organization, but it also strengthens what is already built; renewing foundations, creating new memories, and sharing new doses of laughter. Members having strong connections not only makes their work outputs better but, their work ethics and attitude also, making them inspired and, improving each’s mental health. Sharing dinners is getting rarer each day in this generation, and having it at least once in a while could change a lot in people’s relationships; giving them more collaborative ideas, emotional connections, attachments, time to ease the stress from work, and time to share appreciation towards each other. A dinner may just be a dinner in some’s perspective, but a small action like this could change masses in someone’s day or week. A simple meal could create stories that an individual could hold unto forever. Dinners are pieces of evidence that slight actions could lead to grand reactions.